A series of miracles helps one teenager

Chelsey was relaxing on a beautiful July day, tubing in North Carolina. Suddenly, the boat towing her and two friends swerved to miss another boat.

“They missed the collision, but we did not,” she said. “The last thing I remember was crashing. I hit the side of the boat and flew onto the deck. When the paramedics arrived, they knew immediately that we needed Sentara Nightingale Regional Air Ambulance.”

Back to school

Chelsey’s injuries were extensive: She broke her arm, dislocated her elbow, shattered her spleen, and damaged her liver and one kidney.

She faced other challenges, too:

“When the doctors could not stabilize my blood pressure, they found a hole in my heart that needed immediate surgery,” she said. “The doctors saved my life, and after a long 30-day stay in the hospital, I finally went home.”

The teenager calls her recovery a series of miracles, and she’s making the most of every day.

“I’m cheerleading and shopping for my senior prom dress,” she said. “I graduate from high school in June, so I am looking at colleges with my new interest – a career as a physician’s assistant. Surviving such a traumatic event has made me appreciate everything I have and all that lies ahead.”